said she would grow old gracefully and wouldn’t be one of those women who desperately plied their face with cream and stalked plastic surgeons. She wouldn’t need a lift or tuck because she wasn’t the vain type, but staring at herself in the mirror, and thinking about a new phase of her life coming at her like a 747 coming in hot, she wondered if she needed to set up a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Her boobs weren’t pointing at her feet yet, and her behind wasn’t totally saggy, but if she didn’t start working out soon, she may be heading in that direction. She didn’t want to be a fluffy, middle-aged, tired woman.
Then she thought about Charlotte and the way she was stealthily worming her way into Kit’s life, and that not only made her feel old but also discouraged.
Growling at her reflection, she jerked the stupid control top down, waddled out of it, and kicked it off. It flew like a flesh-colored jellyfish and nailed Kit right in the face as he came into the closet.
“What the fu—”
“Sorry,” Melanie said, covering her breasts with her arms and sucking in her stomach, something she never did with Kit. Why did she feel that compunction now? She’d never been ashamed of her body, and Kit had always loved the flare of her hips, her soft breasts, and dainty feet. Or so he proclaimed when he was sexing her up.
Kit tossed the makeshift girdle back to her. “What are those, anyway?”
“Shape wear. It helps things stay in place,” she said.
He started unbuttoning his shirt. “I like when things don’t stay in place. Come on over here, and I’ll show you how much.”
Melanie wanted to slide the bra straps down her arms, unhook the clasp digging into her back, and do exactly what her husband suggested, but she no doubt had the imprint of the waistband around her midsection, and her hair smelled like étouffée. She hadn’t had a shower since that morning, and she knew she’d done her fair share of sweating as she readied the house for the event. “Uh, that sounds good, but maybe tomorrow night? Or the morning?”
He jerked his head up, his gaze showing both irritation and disappointment. “Sure.”
Kit turned his back, and she knew she’d made a mistake. Who cared if she was bone tired and possibly smelled like an advertisement for the Louisiana seafood industry? Her still-sexy husband was flirting with her and wanted her. “I mean, it’s just that I need a shower.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, sliding out of his pants and folding them carelessly over a hanger. Melanie’s fingers itched to match the seams and rehang the pants.
“I don’t want you to think I don’t want you. I do.”
“Mel, it’s fine,” he said, shrugging out of his shirt. “I’m tired, anyway.”
But she could tell it wasn’t fine, and she felt guilty. But at the same time she was aggravated. Didn’t he know she was exhausted? She’d spent all day getting everything ready for the party, and then for the past hour, she’d seen guests out and made sure everything was turned off and put away. She still had a big stack of silver that she and Louisa would have to tackle in the morning when the housekeeper arrived. And they had an appointment with the wedding planner in the afternoon, something that was sure to drive her to drink. And Kit was miffed because she didn’t drop her panties and climb aboard?
I bet Charlotte would.
Her snarky inner voice made her even angrier. Why should she have to feel like she had to have sex with her husband in order to prevent him from picking up what Charlotte was laying down? She shouldn’t. Not when she was this dang tired.
“I’m tired, too,” she said, sliding past him.
Once upon a time, he would have looped a hand around her waist, pressed her up against the wall, and persuaded her to not be tired in a most delicious way. She’d squeal and laugh . . . and then quickly sigh. Kit knew she liked to be dominated in the bedroom—slightly aggressive seduction was her favorite game, probably because she’d grown up reading 1880s historical romances with dashing sea captains who practiced their wiles on windblown virgins. She had a weird penchant to want to be persuaded. Or maybe it was because she was in charge of so much, constantly having to handle every situation in their family that made her want to surrender